proverb · Words worth keeping
The moon, her face be red, of water she speaks.
The moon, her face be red, of water she speaks.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes a red-faced moon speak of water. Its personification treats lunar colour as a sign of approaching rain.
What the words are saying
Water takes a weather sense in the supplied gloss, but no time or place is specified. A useful explanation recognises the speaking moon as imagery rather than a literal message. The phrase does not establish a cause of colour or a reliable link with showers.
Everyday example
A reader separates the red-moon image from the unconfirmed rain prediction attached to it.
When to use it
Use it to explain personified weather lore with cause and timing open.
What it does not mean
No optical cause, literal lunar message or dependable rain forecast is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 609; PDF page 88
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.